Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries - a Central Sector Scheme on Blue Revolution

Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries
- a Central Sector Scheme on Blue Revolution

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA),
chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for
implementation of an umbrella schemefor integrated development and management
of fisheries at an outlay of Rs.3,000 crore, for a period of five years. The
Central Sector Scheme covers development and management of inland fisheries,
aquaculture, marine fisheries including deep sea fishing, mariculture and all
activities undertaken by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) towards
realizing “Blue Revolution”. The scheme has the following six broad components:

(a) National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and its activities,

(b) Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture,

(c) Development of Marine Fisheries, Infrastructure and Post Harvest
Operations,

(d) Strengthening of Database & Geographical Information System of the
Fisheries Sector,

(e) Institutional Arrangement for Fisheries Sector and

(f) Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) and other need-based Interventions.

The components of the scheme namely (a) Strengthening of Database &
3eographical Information System of the Fisheries Sector, (b) Institutional
Arrangement for the Fisheries Sector and (c) Monitoring, Control and
Surveillance (MCS) and other need-based Interventions would be implemented
Departmentally (Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (DADF))
with 100% central funding.

The scheme provides for suitable linkages and convergence with the
"Sagarmala Project" of the Ministry of Shipping, Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNAREGA),
RashtriyaKrishiVikasYojana (RKVY), National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM)
etc.

The Central Sector Scheme aims at a focussed and integrated approach for
development and management of fisheries and aquaculture sector to ensure a
sustained annual growth rate of 6% - 8% as against an overall annual growth
rate of about 4% during the 11th Five Year Plan period.

The scheme with its multi-dimensional activities, focuses mainly on increasing
production and productivity from aquaculture and fisheries resources, both
inland and marine. The scheme is intended to utilise most of the unutilised
fisheries resources keeping in view the overall sustainability, bio-security
and environmental concerns.

Besides providing a major impetus to the fishery sector, the scheme provides to
encourage economically weaker sections such as Scheduled Castes(SCs), Scheduled
Tribes(STs), Women and their co-operatives to take up fishing and fisheries
related activities.

The scheme would also encourage increasing private investment, entrepreneurship
development, more Public Private Partnership (PPP) and better leveraging of
institutional finance. Besides, the scheme encompasses skill development and capacity
building in fisheries and allied activities; and creation of post-harvest and
cold chain infrastructure facilities.

The scheme would benefit the entire fisheries sector covering about 14.50
million fishers. Besides the fishers, the scheme would also benefit other
stakeholders such as fish farmers, fisheries entrepreneurs, fish retailers,
wholesalers, fish processors, fish exports and women groups amongst others.
Besides the increase in fish production at the primary level, the scheme would
also stimulate growth of the subsidiary and allied industries and growth of
other related economic activities, especially in the coastal regions, leading
to many direct andindirect benefits to the entire fisheries sector.

The Central Sector Scheme will be implemented in all the States including North
East States and Union Territories.

. Background:

Fisheries is a sunrise sector with varied resources and potential, engaging
over 14.50 million people at the primary level and many more along the value
chain. Transformation of the fisheries sector from traditional to commercial
scale has led to an -increase in fish production from 7.5 lakh tonne in 1950-51
to 100.70 lakh tonne during 2014-15, while the export earnings from the sector
registered at Rs.33,441 crore in 2014-15 (US$ 5.51 billion). With an overall
annual growth rate of about 4% during the 11th Five Year Plan period, the
sector contributed about 0.92% to the National Gross Domestic Production(GDP)
and 5.58% to the agricultural GDP (2013-14). Constituting about 6.30% of the
global fish production and 5% of global trade, India today has attained the
status of the second largest fish producing and second largest aquaculture
nation in the world.

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Satellite-Based Imagining and Geospatial Technology

The Government has recently launched a
pilot study called KISAN+ (C (K) rop Insurance using Space technology geoi N
formatics). The programme envisages use of high resolution remote sensing data
(from Indian and International Satellites), sophisticated modeling activity and
other geospatial technology (smartphone, Global Positioning System (GPS),
Bhuvan Server) for improving the accuracy of crop yield estimation through more
efficient Crop Cutting Experiments. At some sample locations images will be collected
using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAVs)/Drones. The project proposes to use
multi-parameter modeling for Block level yield estimation. A study has been
entrusted to Mahalanobis National Crop Forescast Centre (MNCFC) to conduct a
pilot in 4 districts (1 district each) in 4 States (Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya
Pradesh and Maharasthra) during Kharif 2015 season, 8 districts (2 districts
each) during Rabi 2015-16 season.

The timely and accurate yield assessments are essential for settling insurance
claims for crop damage to the farmers. With use of advance technology, it is
expected that there will be improvements in yield estimation, which will in
turn help the farmers for assessing the extent of loss in a precise manner and
reducing the time for arriving at final yield data for calculation of claims
under crop insurance scheme.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare Sh. Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundaria in Lok Sabha today.

§ Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme is being implemented
under which the farmers can know the major and minor nutrients available in
their soils which will ensure judicious use of fertiliser application and thus
save money of farmers. The balanced use of fertiliser will also enhance
productivity and ensure higher returns to the farmers.

§
Neem Coated Urea is being promoted to regulate urea use, enhance its
availability to the crop and reduce cost of fertilizers application. The entire
quantity of domestically manufactured urea is now neem coated.

§
Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is being implemented with a view to
promoting organic farming in the country. This will improve soil health and
organic matter content and increase net income of the farmer so as to realise
premium prices.

§
The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) is being implemented to expand
cultivated area with assured irrigation, reduce wastage of water and improve
water use efficiency.

§
In addition to the above, Government is also implementing several Centrally
Sponsored Schemes- National Food Security Mission (NFSM); Mission for
Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH); National Mission on Oilseeds
& Oilpalm (NMOOP); National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA);
National Mission on Agricultural Extension & Technology (NMAET); National
Crop Insurance Programme (NCIP); Unified National Agriculture Markets; and
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).

The Government undertakes procurement of wheat and paddy under its ‘MSP
operations’. In addition, Government implements Market Intervention Scheme
(MIS) for procurement of agricultural and horticultural commodities not covered
under the MSP Scheme on the request of State/UT Government. The MIS is
implemented in order to protect the growers of these commodities from making
distress sale in the event of bumper crop when the prices tend to fall below
the economic level/cost of production. Losses, if any, incurred by the
procuring agencies are shared by the Central Government and the concerned State
Government on 50:50 basis (75:25 in case of North-Eastern States). Profit, if
any, earned by the procuring agencies is retained by them.

This information was given by the Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Sh. Radha Mohan Singh in Lok Sabha today.

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Promotion to Bio-Pesticides

The Government of India is promoting
use of bio-pesticides under the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach which
employs cultural, mechanical & biological methods of pest control alongwith
need based judicious use of chemical pesticides. The Central Integrated Pest
Management Centres (CIPMCs) promote IPM through Farmers’ Field Schools and
various training programmes. Package of practices for control of pests and
diseases in 66 crops have been revised to include techniques to reduce
dependence on chemical pesticides and encourage use of bio-pesticides and other
alternative plant protection measures. The requirement for registration of
bio-pesticides has been simplified to facilitate introduction of
bio-pesticides. Central Government provides grant-in-aid of Rs.45.00 lakhs for
building and Rs.20.00 lakh for procuring equipments for Bio-control
Laboratories for production of bio-control agents including bio-pesticides to
State Governments. Central Government also provides Rs.20.00 lakh as
grants-in-aid to State Governments for procuring equipments for Bio-pesticides
Testing Laboratories.

Farmers Field Schools are being organized with the assistance of Central Integrated
Pest Management Centres (CIPMCs) across the country (including Haryana, Punjab
and Rajasthan) in crops like cotton, vegetables, potato, tomato, citrus (Kinno)
which are considered as preferable hosts for white fly, wherein the farmers are
being trained/ taught about the identification and conservation methods of
various predators like chrysopa, lady bird beetles, spiders and other predatory
fauna found in agro eco-system. In the current year (upto November 2015) 48
FFSs have been organized in States of Haryana, Punjab & Rajasthan in which
a total of 1440 farmers have been trained.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan in Lok Sabha today.